• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Erdington postmen heroes remembered

Found a post box opposite the Post Office (as was), it's outside the Library on Orphanage Road. It's a King George V (so dated between 1910 - 1936). It's way over on the other side of the Green. Must have been put there after the library was built in 1906/7. The Post Office was on the Green from at least 1899, so it may have had a letter posting box built into the PO building wall until the pillar box across the road was installed.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20250510_213334_Maps.jpg
    Screenshot_20250510_213334_Maps.jpg
    160.8 KB · Views: 5
Last edited:
i was reading this 2012 report about a 5ft plinth was moved from its original spot to the grounds of a leisure centre..after failing to have it moved from there and placed at the NMA ..i believe since 2022 it has been at the regional offices of cadent in wolverhampton awaiting repair..it wont help us of course but i just found it interesting

Scandal of Birmingham's 'lost' First World War memorial

ALMOST hidden by grass cuttings in the forgotten corner of a leisure centre, the names nearly obliterated by moss, lies Birmingham’s lost memorial to The Fallen.
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
 
Last edited:
That's interesting, Lyn. The Gas Departnent one was stone and called Allegory. It was moved from inside the Gas Department Edmund Street. Maybe it was moved after the Gas Department building was hit by a WW2 bomb. According to this link, it was going to be refurbished and was the responsibility of the Gas Dept but maybe that didn't materialise.
 
Last edited:
made from portland stone viv... then moved from inside the gas dept to the gas depts social club in erdington which then became hollyfields sports centre then in 2022 removed from there to cadents regional office in wolverhampton for repair.. i found this info with a nice photo of it in situ..wish our plaque was so easily traced :rolleyes:

www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

City of Birmingham Gas Department

Allegory (eg: Victory)
www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk
 
Have had a reply from Ian Binnie regarding the records the birmingham peoples history archive hold for the post office union. Apparently they all seem to refer to post 1935.so nothing likely to refer to the Erdington memorial
 
mikejee said:
Have had a reply from Ian Binnie regarding the records the birmingham peoples history archive hold for the post office union. Apparently they all seem to refer to post 1935.so nothing likely to refer to the Erdington memorial
Click to expand...
thanks for asking mike

lyn
 
Astoness said:
UPDATE

hi folks for those of you who are not familiar with this story and for you to understand it it is best if you start reading this thread from post 1 ....the other day i visited the NMA to have a look at the newly remodelled site of the GPO memorial garden and noticed that the postal plaque was not there ( if you read the thread it was originally sited in 1922 at the old post office on erdington high st.). after a couple of days making enquires i have been informed that our postal plaque is on the move again...it has now been cleaned by a stone mason and will be sited at the post office in erdington...the post office is now in the process of a refurbishment but as soon as that is completed the plaque will be placed there which is really where it belongs..i will be informed when it is in situ at the post office so that i can go and have a look and take a photograph...this is good news folks as most of the royal mail memorials are sited within post office buildings

i am sure we would like to thank the NMA for looking after the plaque for the past 10 years but after an absence of over 50 years it is time for it to go back home...

lyn
Click to expand...
many of you will know the history of this postal memorial plaque...it had been sited at the NMA for 10 years but was removed a couple of years ago..i contacted martyn bunn to ask what was going to happen to it and could it be placed at the sutton new road sorting office in erdington ..i have today received an email off martyn to say that at long last the plaque is where it should be..it is on the wall to the right of the main building of sutton new road sorting office flanked by 2 union jack flags :) :) ...martyn did sent me a short video clip of it but i am having problems posting it so maybe if any of our members are down erdington way they could take a photo for us and post it on here..cheers

lyn
 
Last edited:
Well done Lyn, so very important for our cultural history, that these names of lads, who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice. I did something similar, here in Cambridge, for the Gas company pals.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top